Giuliani Notes: Rudy Accepts Iowa GOP Debate

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani signs an autograph for Bob Steiner of Manchester, N.H. after speaking Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at the Old Town Hall in Bedford, N.H.

Giuliani accepts invite to Iowa debate

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has accepted an invitation to joining a presidential debate planned in Des Moines next August sponsored by ABC News, his first major commitment to the state since dropping from a straw poll planned later that month.

“As you are aware, Mayor Giuliani is committed to providing voters with as much information as possible in order for them to evaluate their next president and he strongly believes that debates are in important part of the electoral process,” said campaign manager Michael DuHaime, in a letter to George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.

The debate is planned Aug. 5 in Des Moines, and Giuliani joining the platform is likely to assure that virtually all of the other Republican contender will join in. Most national polls have shown Giuliani leading other rivals for the GOP presidential nomination, though those polls have been flux in recent weeks.

Polls have also shown Giuliani running strong in Iowa, where precinct caucuses traditionally launch the presidential nominating season. He has built less of an organizational presence than some of his GOP rivals in the state, and he rocked Republican politics last week by deciding to pull out of the Iowa straw poll.

The Republican Party of Iowa traditionally runs the straw poll in August before the caucuses in January, and those straw polls in past competitive election cycles have drawn flocks of candidates, who spend million of dollars courting Iowa activists in hopes of a strong showing.
Last week, Giuliani announced he was dropping out of the straw poll, though he insisted he would continue to compete in Iowa’s leadoff caucuses. That move sparked Arizona Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) to also pull out of the straw poll, leaving the formerly high-profile event up for grabs.

Giuliani aides said accepting the debate invitation in Iowa shows that Giuliani is serious about competing in the state. The said he released this week a high-profile list of Iowa backers and will contest the state.

Of course, Rudy will compete for votes in the January 14, 2008 Iowa caucuses. Hizzoner will never right off a chance to win an election and GOP delegates.

However, the Iowa Straw Poll is another matter. That decision for anyone who knows politics was a “NO BRAINER.”

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